Environmental experts say that up to ten billion shillings is required to protect the River Rwizi catchment area annually.

The money is to fund technical as well as psychosocial interventions in the 16 districts of southwestern and central Uganda through which the river passes.

This was revealed by experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Victoria Water Management Zone under the Ministry of Water and Environment, during the issuance of the progress report on the intervention program to save River Rwizi, which started in 2019. 

River Rwizi provides a livelihood to the population in 16 districts of southwestern and central regions and has had its water levels reduced due to illegal human activities along its banks.

Environmentalists have been warning that the trend of river bank encroachment and wetland degradation if not reversed would lead to the extinction of River Rwizi and its tributaries.

Ivan Tumuhimbise, the WWF Country Head for Uganda, said that the first two phases of the program were about boundary markings, as well as mobilizing communities along the river.He adds that the marked boundaries include nature-based initiatives like tree planting to avoid river silting.

The Uganda AIDS Commission has revealed that young girls between 16 to 28 years are increasingly getting HIV in Mbarara city and district with the prevalence rate standing at 8.4% and 14% respectively.

According to Dorcus Twinabeitu, the Mbarara city HIV focal person, as of march 2024, 31852 people were confirmed to be living with HIV in care in Mbarara City compared to 31764 recorded between October and December 2023.

Twinabeitu notes that girls of the age of 15 to 28 are the most infected and testing positive in the city attributing it to a number of factors that among others include uncontrolled alcohol use, low condom use, poverty and reluctance on ARVs uptake.

According to the Uganda AIDS Commission’s HIV prevention officer for Mbarara, Dr. Steven Asiimwe, Mbarara district tops the Ankole sub region in the HIV prevalence standing at 14.4% followed by Kiruhura at 9.5%, Bushenyi at 9.2% Mbarara city comes at 8.1% Ibanda at 7.3% Sheema at 7.5%, Ntungamo 5.9%, Rubirizi at 6.1%, Mitooma 4.1%, Buhweju at 3.8% and least is Isingiro at 3.0%”

Police in Masindi is holding a 30-year old man, on allegations of hacking his father, for calling him a thief in a clan meeting.

The suspect has been identified as Nelson Okecha, while the deceased father is 60-year old Alex Omochi, both residents of Nyakabaale Village, Kiruuli Sub-county in Masindi District.

SP Julius Allan Hakiza, Albertine Region Police Public Relations Officer reveals that Okecha hacked his father who was also the Nyakabaale Village Chairman yesterday, after the deceased convened a clan meeting that also involved some neighbours complaining that his son had become a serial thief stealing his property including an asortment of solar panels and a woofer among others.

The suspect would then leave the meeting, but returned with a machete, forcing people to scatter and eventually hacked his father.

After committing the crime, the killer fled the scene along with the machete to an unknown hideout. Police however mounted the search and arrested him and is detained at Masindi police station.

Kazo Grade 1 Magistrate’s Court sitting in Kazo district yesterday May 22, 2024 remanded a 70 years old man to Rugongi government prison in Kiruhura district and released four others over their refusal to be enumerated during the National Population and Housing Census exercise .

The National Population and Housing Census activity was rolled out on May 10, 2024 and will run up to May 25,2024 following the extension of closing date by Uganda Bureau of Statistics, a body charged with this responsibility from May 19, 2024.

The court session presided over by His Worship Joshua Ndazano heard that Magret Tumuhairwe, Alvin Musiimenta, Rosette Nakuya and Evelyn Kyabutungi all residents of  Ndagi in Nshunga –Nkungu ,Kazo refused to be enumerated on faith based grounds.

The five accused persons all subscribe to the Nyanga Akaibo faith which they hinged on to say does not allow them to be counted.

Four of the accused five pleaded guilty to the charges and were released with caution and needed help not punishment while a one Vitali Tinkamanyire, 70, pleaded not guilty and was remanded to Rugongi government prison in Kiruhura district up to June 10,2024.

After their release, the four revealed that they will go and think about being enumerated but further said that they had not taken a decision about it.

Police in Mbarara District are investigating a set of conditions under which a 65-year-old man murdered his son over land issues.

Perez Tumwiine 65, a resident of Bitereko Village in Kariro Parish, Rubindi in Mbarara District is said to have murdered his son, Nickson Tweteise, 35. The incident happened in the night of May, 19^th.

According to residents of Bitereko Village led by Dezi Mwombekyi ,the LC 1 chairperson, the deceased had been a threat to the village. He was involved in stealing of people’s property, beating people, and as well threatened to kill his father if he did not give him part of his land.

It is alleged that after murdering his son, Tumwine walked to Rubindi Police Station where he is now being detained .

ASP Amos Betungura, the OC Rubindi Police station, has confirmed the incident noting that Police visited the scene, took the body of the deceased to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for post-mortem.

The Mbarara District political leaders together with the district’s technical team led by the Resident District Commissioner,Emmy Kateera Turyabagyenyi have appreciated the construction works done on the Out Patients Department (OPD) block at Bwizibwera Health Hentre IV phase II estimated to have cost shs.89m inclusive of Value Added Tax.

A privately owned company, M/S Multiple Enterprises and Services Company Limited was contracted to carry out the construction works and was funded by the government of Uganda under the Primary Health Care (PHC) transitional grant.

As was reported by the contractors and observed by the leaders, the construction works at the site stand at the completion rate of 80% and the remaining percentage would be completed in a month’s time.

In his remarks, Emmy Kateera Turyabagyenyi revealed that according to what was assessed on the ongoing works, the work is close to completion and that the contractor has done it on schedule.

Kateera revealed that the OPD faced a challenge of delayed payment from the district local government, as well as lack of enough water. He went on to say that these challenges would be addressed .

Betty Tinka, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mbarara District also commended the contractor for being co-operative with the political leaders and the technical team.

The chairperson for works and technical services sectoral committee who is also the LCV Councillor for Bukiro Town Council, Saverius Nuwagira appealed to the political leaders entrusted with responsibilities of monitoring government projects to always make proper follow ups on these works to ensure there is value for money.

He said, ” it is funny to find issues meant for discussion in the early stages of construction are raised at commissioning stage because monitoring was not done”. He further stressed that it is hard to find solutions to some of these construction errors since they are noticed at a late stage.

Bwizibwera Health Centre IV is the biggest health facility in Mbarara district and the local leaders in the district have been calling for its elevation to a hospital status.

Police in Kazo district have arrested Christopher Karwani,60, for allegedly defiling two girls aged a six and four. He was arrested yesterday Tuesday May,14th 2024 after he was allegedly caught red handed raping and defiling a six year old by the residents of Nyabiherere 1,Nyarubanga Parish, Kanoni Subcounty.

Wilson Nabimanya, the area parish councillor, confirmed that the suspect is in custody at Kazo Central Police Station. He went on to reveal that Karwani has been sexually using the two minor sisters for quite some time. The victims are daughters of William Kariisa a resident of Nyabiherere 1 Trading center.

The area councillor further asked parents to avoid creating gaps in relationships between them and their children as a way of curbing such vices from the community. He also went on to request elders in to be good examples to the young generation.

Attempts by our reporter to reach out to the Kazo District Police Commander, SSP Joseph Nsabimana were futile as he was not in office and did not pick phone calls.

A-35 year old man who is accused of defiling and procuring an abortion has been remanded to Nyamushekyera prison in Bushenyi District.

Kenneth Mugooha Akanduhura, a former Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality Mp aspirant,a resident of Rwenjeru ward,Nyakabirizi division, Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality is accused of defiling his 15-year old house girl and later procuring abortion after she got pregnant was remanded by the Bushenyi Grade one court magistrate, Halima Omar Ahmed yesterday 13th May 2024.

The accused was arrested on 18th April,2024 by the police after girl’s sad story was aired on media, in which the girl’s relatives said the suspect had defiled the girl in Kyeitembe West ward ,central division and aided abortion and there after abandoned the girl to rot.

The Victim developed complications after abortion and she was being forced to use pampers but the accused allegedly refused to assist the family. 

The magistrate Grade one noted that her court doesnot have authority to hear to his case and remanded him to Nyamushekyera prison until 19th June,2024 when he will appear in court for further mentioning of his case.